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After The Elements comes Molecules October 11 2014, 0 Comments

In 2009, Theodore Gray published his book, The Elements: A Visual Exploration of Every Known Atom in the Universe. While the subtitle might have been a bit ambitious, the illustrations have fascinated many children and adults. The book has a wealth of graphic information, as well as engaging images of the substances that contain the element.

Gray has just released a new book called Molecules: The Elements and the Architecture of Everything. It has his usual outstanding photos along with illustrations of the molecules. Children can copy these into three dimensions with a molecular modeling kit. You can see how a molecule of omega-3 oil looks compared to other oils. Soap and sweets, poisons and peppers, fibers and dyes – it’s all here.

If you are looking for a good molecular modeling kit, I recommend the Molymod™ brand. The models hold together well. There’s nothing more frustrating than to have your large, beautiful molecule fall apart. Look for an organic modeling kit. These are sometimes required for organic chemistry courses in college, and I’ve seen them used at bookstores near universities.

Not every child will be interested in making molecular models more complicated than water and carbon dioxide, but those that love this abstract study will be thrilled with Gray’s Molecules.